City Rezoning For Burger King Is Coming Up Restaurant Chain May Have Its Own Way, Build In Spring

October 07, 1992|by DAN HARTZELL, The Morning Call

Ground could be broken in spring for a Burger King restaurant at Schoenersville Road and Industrial Drive in Bethlehem, if City Council's first-reading approval of a required zoning change stands up.

The application by Bob Young Trucking Inc. to change the 6.9-acre parcel on the west side of Schoenersville Road from industrial to commercial zoning passed by a 5-2 vote last night.

It was owner Robert Young's second try at securing the commercial designation. A similar bid was rejected last November, primarily because of traffic safety concerns at the busy intersection, just north of the Route 22 interchange.

Lehigh Valley Industrial Park I (LVIP), just north of the Young property, strongly supported both applications. After the first one failed, LVIP and its member companies put up $50,000 to install a traffic signal at the intersection to help allay opponents' fears.

It worked. Only councilmen Otto Ehrsam Jr. and Thomas Mohr supported the earlier application. But last night, Michael Loupos, Richard Szulborski and President James Delgrosso joined them, leaving dissenters Paul Calvo and Jack Lawrence.

Loupos said at the Sept. 15 public hearing on the request that the traffic light was the major factor in his decision, helping to alleviate the safety problem in the area.

LVIP Executive Director Grover Stainbrook Jr. has said the services planned by Young are needed by the park's many workers, who currently have to drive elsewhere for lunch and personal errands.

Stainbrook argued at the hearing that Young's proposed development would take some of the existing traffic off Schoenersville Road, because employees would use the development adjacent to the park rather than traveling to restaurants farther away.

But Calvo, noting that the request was recommended for rejection by city Planning Director Samuel Guttman and by the independent Planning Commission, said last night that a restaurant and other commercial businesses do not represent the best use of the land.

"I think we're making a big mistake here," one that will create severe traffic problems, despite the signal, Calvo said.

Planning Commission Chairman Francis Walsh said at the public hearing that the signal is needed to address existing traffic volume, but probably would not be sufficient to handle the additional load created by Young's proposed development.

Young said last night that if council's final vote Oct. 20 is positive, and if all goes well with the subsequent site plan review, construction of a Burger King restaurant could begin in the spring.

Council received two more zoning change requests last night, both from residential to commercial: Richard Menegus' application for a parcel on N. Easton Road near Applebutter Road, and Willard Kulp's plan for a property at 2980 Linden St., adjacent to the Macada Plaza commercial development.

Both requests also have been rejected previously.

Council approved an administration plan to borrow $182,970 more from the sewer assessment fund for mounting expenses at the landfill.

The city raided the account to the tune of $684,000 in June, with a promise to repay the money by September 1994 with landfill operating revenue. This presumes the city will secure a state environmental permit to re-open the facility, which has been closed to commercial use since December primarily because of groundwater contamination.

The second loan basically wipes out the sewer assessment fund, leaving $5,000 in the account, which usually hovers in the $900,000 range.

Public Works Director Wendell Sherman said the money is needed for continued groundwater monitoring expenses. The city hopes to secure approval for a plan to clean up the contamination, and to expand the landfill and begin operating again before the end of next year.

The second phase of bond financing for the city's $80 million water system improvements, including the filtration plant and major renovations to the distribution system, was approved on first reading last night. Assuming current interest rates remain firm at settlement, the amount of the 1992 issue will be $39,940,000.

Council also approved the use of $92,600 in additional federal funding to complete financing for the $352,600 stabilization of the ice house on Sand Island.

If council approves subsequent funding, the long-term plan is to refurbish the building. A recent consultants' study judged that the ice house has historical significance.